Council of American Islamic Relations

My name is Mahomed Nimer. I'm Research Director with the Council
on American/Islamic relations. Islam, since the seventh century, has made
the preservation of life as a supreme value for all Islamic law. Muslin
theologians across history have debated the issue of abortion. There is one
thing that nobody has ever disagreed on - that is - after the first
trimester, abortion is haram. Haram, meaning sinful,
prohibited in Islamic law. Muslims generally have different views as
persons. There is no clergy structure for the whole Islamic faith but our
surveys have shown that Muslims generally are more conservative than the
most conservative elements of American public on this issue. It comes down
to this - abortion as a lifestyle issue has no room in Islamic faith.